Independent phone retailers compete with the networks by offering cashback. The advertised "effective" monthly price often assumes you get all of it. Whether you actually will depends entirely on which kind of cashback it is.
Automatic cashback
The retailer pays you, or applies a discount, without you doing anything. Sometimes it is paid a few weeks after connection; sometimes it is knocked off the upfront price at checkout. This is straightforward and you can treat it as a genuine reduction in the total cost.
Cashback by redemption
This is the one to read carefully. You pay the full monthly price to the network, and separately claim money back from the retailer — typically in several instalments, each tied to a specific bill (for example your 3rd, 6th, 9th, 12th and 15th). To claim, you usually have to send a copy of that exact bill within a narrow window, often a few weeks either side of the bill date. Miss the window, or send the wrong bill, and that instalment is forfeited.
Retailers rely on a proportion of customers not claiming. That is not a scandal — it is why the headline price is so low — but it means the "effective" price only applies to the diligent.
How to decide
- If you will genuinely set five calendar reminders and keep PDF bills, redemption cashback is real money and the deal may well be the cheapest available.
- If you know yourself and you will not, price the deal at its full monthly cost and compare that. Often a plain deal with nothing to claim is close to it anyway.
- Either way, keep every bill from day one. Networks sometimes only let you download the last few months.
How we show it
The prices on our deal cards are what the retailer's feed reports as the monthly and upfront cost, before any cashback. Where a retailer lists a gift or offer we show it as a tag, and the exact cashback mechanics are on the retailer's page when you click through. If the price there looks lower than ours, cashback is usually why — and now you know what to check.